Ecology and Taxonomy of the GenusEurydice(Isopoda: Cirolanidae) From Sand Beaches on The Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Quantitative sampling for the genusEurydice(Isopoda: Cirolanidae) was conducted on 25 sand beach sites along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Five species were recorded intertidally:Eurydice affinis, E. pulchra, E. naylorisp. nov.,E. lusitaniensissp. nov. andE. spinigera. Physical data collected were used to construct an index of exposure to rank each site. The distribution of intertidalEurydicesp. is described in relation to exposure to wave action and to tidal level. Peak abundance ofE. affinis, E. pulchraandnaylorioccurred most frequently between mean high water neap (MHWN) and mean tide level (MTL). WhilstE. affinisoccurred over a wide range of exposure,E. nayloriexhibited a marked preference for exposed sites andE. pulchrawas only recorded from sheltered and semi-exposed sites. Surf plankton collections revealed the presence ofE. lusitaniensis, but as only two specimens were collected, its ecology remains unknown. The zoogeographical distribution of the genus on North Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts is briefly reviewed.